And if that’s not bad enough, NewsCenter 5’s Kathy Curran reported Wednesday that taxpayers will most likely be stuck with the bill to replace it.

Thousands of dollars in cash, computers, cameras, even a tuba were reported missing from the state.

Team 5 Investigates found hundreds of other items, worth almost $1 million that have been reported to Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne Bump’s office in the last three years --- items most taxpayers would keep a close eye on.

“Is that acceptable to you, as state auditor?” asked Team 5 Investigates’ Kathy Curran.

“Clearly we don’t want to see the loss of any public property or the misuse of public funds,” answered Bump.

Reports of missing bullet proof vests and handcuffs that could end up in the wrong hands are especially concerning.

“They’re not isolated incidents, they are the result of a failure to really have strict standards about how you track equipment,” Bump said.

Surprisingly, equipment belonging to the auditor’s office from the previous administration even made the list.

“Right, some of our auditors were auditing at another location and three laptops went missing a few years ago,” said Bump.

“Coincidence?” asked Curran.

“Didn’t happen on my watch,” Bump responded.

Records show the state’s colleges and universities lost the most property, with $408,963 in missing and stolen equipment, electronics and other items that just vanished, including a historic Bausch and Lomb microscope on loan from the Smithsonian, the tops of three toilet tanks and even a decoy coyote.

“There really are some unusual items,” said Bump.

Counterfeit bills and cash shortages were common at the courts, which lost approximately $14,180. A spokesperson told Team 5 Investigates while it’s concerning, it’s also small compared to their total collections.

But there’s no explanation for the $50,000 loss the Southeastern Massachusetts Convention and Visitors Bureau suffered.

“It’s a real wasted opportunity,” said Betsy Wall, executive director of the Massachusetts office of Travel and Tourism.

The visitors bureau failed to match a grant that could have helped the area’s tourist attractions stay afloat. Now they’re going to be forced to return that money.

“What was their explanation with this grant and why they missed this opportunity?” asked Curran.

“You know, you’d have to ask them that. We had a very hard time getting good information,” said Wall.

No one at the bureau responded to Team 5 Investigates’ attempts to contact them.

“What’s going to make them more accountable?” asked Curran.

“A lot of it has to do with the public pressure that we help to create by making an awareness, creating frankly embarrassing situations for people who haven’t taken this aspect of their job seriously,” said Bump.

Beyond that, state agencies don’t face any penalties or loss of funding if they fail to keep track of their property. Critics tell Team 5 if they did, taxpayers wouldn’t be footing such a big bill to replace all of it.

Lawyers for Boston Marathon bomber Dzkokhar Tsarnaev rested their case in his federal death penalty trial Tuesday after presenting a brief case aimed at showing his late older brother was the mastermind of the 2013 terror attack.